This invention relates to apparatus for and a method of determining surface characteristics such as surface roughness of a thin film structure using interferometric techniques.
Techniques such as phase-stepping interferometry (PSI) and coherence scanning or broadband scanning interferometry (sometimes called “white light scanning interferometry” or “scanning white light interferometry” (SWLI)) have been used to determine surface topography. Phase shifting interferometry involves the acquisition of a number, generally four, of interferograms, at predetermined, usually quarter wavelength, intervals and the processing of these interferograms to determine the surface height of a region (surface pixel) of a surface under examination. The phase shifting method is explained in sections 14.4 and 14.5 on pages 506 to 515 of “Optical Shop Testing”, Second Edition by Daniel Malacara (ISBN 0-471-52232-5). Coherence scanning or broadband interferometry determines the surface height of a surface pixel by acquiring interferograms as the path difference between the reference and measurement arms of the interferometer is changed and identifying the interferogram, and thus the position along the scan path, at which the coherence peak occurs for that surface pixel as discussed in a paper entitled “Profilometry with a Coherence Scanning Microscope” by Byron S. Lee and Timothy C Strand published in Applied Optics Volume 29, No. 26 10 Sep. 1990 at pages 3784 to 3788. Coherence scanning or broadband scanning interferometry has the advantage of a longer range than phase shifting interferometry.
Measurement of the surface roughness of thin film structures by PSI or coherence scanning has proved difficult because the topography-induced phase change is corrupted by the presence of the thin film(s). Thus, in the case of coherence scanning or broadband scanning interferometry, it has proved possible to measure the surface roughness only where the layers have a thickness exceeding the coherence length of the interferometer light source so that there is a coherence peak associated with every interface and topographical perturbation measurements can be made of the film interfaces. As is well-known, the coherence length of an interferometer is a function of bandwidth and numerical aperture (NA).